Insulation slitting tool



April 1, 1952 LAVOIE 2,5915560 INSULATION SLITTING TOOL Filed June 2, 1950 3 i3 if j; mlMIIIIW/AMIII 6 6 1 3 16 I. 8 a 7 6 ,5 2 I Inventor Al/rea'jamie Attorne s Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INSULATION SLITTING TOOL Alfred Lavoie, Roberval, Quebec, Canada Application June 2, 1950, Serial No. 165,613

9 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to an insulation slitting tool and more particularly to a manually operated tool for longitudinally slitting the outersheath of an electric cable.

The main object, according to the present invention, is the provision of an insulation slitting tool of the character above mentioned, which will take up a minimum of space and which is operable with only one hand.

Another important object, according to the present invention, is the provision of a manually operated insulation slitting tool which will take up a minimum of space and will be capable of operating in crowded quarters not accessible to already known similar tools.

Another important object, according to the present invention, is the provision of a tool of the character described of abutting means allowing insertion of the cutting blade into the sheat ing of the cable to be out only to an extent short of causing damage to the insulation of the individual wires of the cable.

Another important object, according to the present invention, is the provision of a slitting tool of the character described which is operated by a simple pull combined with a natural forward pressure applied to the slidable blade on said tool.

The foregoing and other important objects according to the present invention will become apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tool according to the invention in operative position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tool without the cable to be slit;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section along line 33 of Figure 2 showing the blade in retracted position;

Figure 4 is a fractional section similar to that of Figure 3 showing the blade in operative position;

Figure.5 is a cross-section along line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a fractional plan section along line- 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, the tool, according to the present invention, comprises a rectangular flat body preferably made of metal provided adjacent one end with a substantially rectangular aperture 2 to receive a cable A in order to slit the outer sheathing in a manner shown in Figure 1. Two shank portions 3 are preferably upwardly bent at the same end of the body I to rotatively support on a transverse bolt 4 a roller 5 having a substantially concave or oval peripheral surface, said roller being adapted to support and guide the cable A through the aperture 2.

To the other end of the body I are secured on 2 opposite faces thereof two plates 5 forming a convenient handle portion for the tool according to the invention.

A longitudinal medial slot 7 is formed in the body intermediate the handle portion of the same and the aperture 2, said slot 7 adapted to loosely receive a screw 8 which is screwed on the underside of a blade carrying member 9 longitudinally displaceable on top of the body I between the handle and the aperture 2, said displacement being limited by said screw 8 which comes into abutting contact with the two ends of the slot 1.

The blade carrying member 9 is preferably of trapezoidal cross-section as shown to advantage in Figure 5 being slidably retained to the bod I by means of a yoke member I9 secured to the latter and having inclined inner faces I I adapted to co-operate with the side faces of said blade carrying member 9. The yoke member ID preferably extends from the top plate 6 forming the handle unto substantially medially of the the aperture 2 on both sides thereof, being open at said latter end.

A blade I2 is inserted into a slot made in the front portion of the blade carrying member 9, adjacent the aperture 2 of the body, and is rigidly secured to said member 9 by means of rivets l3 extending therethrough. The blade I2 is positioned in a medial plane perpendicular with the fiat body I and is longitudinally slidable in said plane medially of said body I together with the member 9. This blade element I2 is preferably of rectangular shape and protrudes from the front portion of the member 9, said protruding end being provided with the blade edge I4 which projects downwardly therefrom into the aperture 2 of the body I. The cutting edge It is adapted to slide within said aperture to take an operative position as shown in Figure 4 to engage and slit the cable A, and also to take a retracted position as shown in Figure 3 wherein it engages a medial slit I5 which communicates with the aperture 2 a shown in Figure 6.

Thus it is seen that the outward corner of the blade edge I4 will engage the cable A thereby making a wedge action facilitating the insertion of said blade into the cable with a, minimum of pressure upon the slidable member 9, said pressure exerted preferably with the thumb of the hand as shown in Figure 1.

In order to also facilitate the application of said pressure on the member 9, the latter is provided with a knob 1-6 screwed to the top portion thereof rearwardly of the blade I2.

Obviously, the tool, according to the present invention, may be provided with spring means to urge the blade and the carrying member 9 in their retracted position whenever the tool is not in use in order to further prevent the tool from causing injury.

From the foregoing description, it is obvious that the tool, according to the present invention, is very simple to manufacture and takes a minimum space and that it is capable of being used in out of the way places which are difficult to reach, thereby providing improved means for slitting electrical cables.

Obviously, the tool, according to the invention, could be used to strip triple core cables as well as double core cable as shown herein.

While a preferred embodiment according to the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A slitting tool comprising an elongated solid body having an aperture near one end to receive a linear object to be slit, a handle portion formed at the other end, a member slidably mounted for longitudinal displacement on said body and a slitting blade portion secured to said member projecting within said aperture, and lying in a plane extending longitudinally of said body and at right-angles to the plane of said aperture.

2. A slitting tool comprising an elongated solid body having an aperture near one end to receive a linear object to be slit, a handle portion formed at the other end, a member slidably mounted for longitudinal displacement on said body intermediate said aperture and said handle portion, and a slitting blade portion secured to said body projecting medially within said aperture, and lying in a plane extending longitudinally of said body and at right-angles to the plane of said aperture.

3. A slitting tool of the character described comprising a substantially flat elongated body having at one end a substantially rectangular aperture through which an electric cable may be passed, a handle portion formed at the other end, a member slidably mounted for longitudinal displacement on said flat body and a slitting blade portion mounted on said member, projecting within said rectangular aperture, and lying in a plane extending longitudinally and medially of said aperture and at right-angles to said flat body.

4. A slitting tool of the character described comprising an elongated solid body having an I aperture at one end through which a cable may be passed, a handle portion formed at the other end, a member slidably mounted for longitudinal displacement on said body intermediate said aperture and said handle portion, a slitting blade portion mounted on said member, within said aperture and lying in a plane extending longitudinally and medially of said aperture and at right-angles to the plane of said aperture, abutment means to limit said longitudinal displacement of said member and a guiding member mounted adjacent to said aperture at the end of said body to guide said cable through said aperture.

5. A slitting tool of the character described comprising a flat elongated solid body having at one end a substantially rectangular aperture through which a cable may be passed, a handle portion formed at the other end, a member slidably mounted for longitudinal displacement on said body intermediate said aperture and said handle portion, a slitting blade portion inwardly projecting from said member and displaceable longitudinally and medially within said aperture, abutment means to limit said longitudinal disprojecting placement of said member, and a guiding roller mounted adjacent to said aperture at the end of said body to guide said cable through said aperture.

6. A slitting tool of the character described comprising a flat elongated solid body having adjaccnt one end a substantially rectangular aperture through which a cable may be passed, a handle portion integrally formed at the other end, an elongated blade carrying member slidably mounted for longitudinal displacement on said body intermediate said aperture and said handle portion, a blade member rigidly secured to said blade carrying member being inserted into a slot formed in the latter, a slitting blade portion inwardly projecting from said blade member at one end thereof and displaceable lon gitudinally and medially within said aperture, said body having a slot formed longitudinally and medially intermediate said aperture and said handle portion, a retaining member projecting through said slot and secured to the underside of said blade carrying member to retain said last mentioned member to said body and to limit the longitudinal displacement of the same, said body being further provided with a medial slit communicating with said aperture to receive said slitting blade portion when the same is in retracted position and a guide roller having a substantially concave peripheral surface mounted at the end of said body adjacent said aperture to receive and guide said cable through said aperture.

7. A slitting tool comprising an elongated body having an aperture at one end, a handle formed at the other end and a slitting blade slidably mounted on said body intermediate said handle and said aperture for longitudinal displacement on said body, said blade projecting in said aperture and lying in a plane extending longitudinally of said body and at right-angles to the plane of said aperture.

8. A slitting tool comprising an elongated body having a substantially fiat portion at one end and an aperture in said flat portion, a handle formed at the other end and a slitting blade movably mounted for longitudinal displacement on said body and extending in a plane lying longitudinally of said body and at right-angles to said flat portion.-

9. A slitting tool comprising an elongated body having a substantially flat portion at one end and an aperture in said flat portion, a handle formed at the other end of said body, a slitting blade movably mounted for longitudinal displacement on said body, projecting in said aperture and lying in a plane extending longitudinally of said body and at right-angles to the plane of said fiat portion, and a guiding member mounted adjacent to said aperture at the end of said body to guide a linear object through said aperture.

ALFRED LAVOIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 120,652 Lewis Nov. 7, 1871 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,154 Great Britain of 1913 57,889 Denmark Aug. 12, 1940 

